After a messy public failure that left customers bewildered and sharing viral bloopers online, McDonald's is diving back into automated ordering. The fast-food giant is now rolling out a new AI-powered system as part of a broader restaurant modernisation programme, aiming to revive voice-activated tech across its locations.
But as management bets heavily on artificial intelligence to streamline service, the move comes after its previous automated ordering experiment was abandoned following accuracy problems.
McDonald's Bets Big on AI
To upgrade its locations, McDonald's is bringing artificial intelligence back to the drive-thru lane as part of a broader $8.5 (£6.41) billion NEXT programme running through 2036. The money is not being spent solely on AI: McDonald's says the figure represents total partnering support for franchisees, including rent relief and capital support, to accelerate restaurant modernisation and technology deployment.
Introducing Archy, the fast-food giant's newest smart assistant, which takes drive-thru orders, suggests add-ons and works as the customer-facing voice for the wider AI system.
During the company's Investor Day presentation, a participating employee described the new system by noting, 'Archy is basically like another employee to us.'
After a Failed AI Experiment
This is not McDonald's first time testing automated ordering. After testing IBM's automated order system at more than 100 U.S. restaurants from 2021, the chain pulled the plug on the partnership in 2024 after the system struggled with order accuracy and customer requests.
Undeterred by those early hiccups, the corporation is doubling down on machine learning, using its latest system to automate drive-thru ordering while allowing employees to focus on other restaurant tasks.
Archy is already performing better than the broader AI drive-thru results recorded in a 2025 industry study, according to McDonald's. Representatives shared with Moneywise that the digital assistant is taking live drive-thru orders in both Spanish and English with an accuracy rate exceeding 90%.
How Archy Works
Framing this trial around its traditional test-and-learn strategy, management explained that letting artificial intelligence manage ordering allows back-end systems and staff to coordinate better, leaving employees free to focus on customer service and improving overall restaurant efficiency.
The wider technology landscape shows why accuracy remains a key challenge for automated ordering. Data from a 2025 Intouch Insight analysis revealed that AI-driven drive-thrus achieved an 83% accuracy rate on orders, trailing the broader industry benchmark of 87%. While the technology proved quicker—cutting roughly 21 seconds off average service speeds—shoppers faced the frequent annoyance of needing to repeat themselves.
McDonald's says Archy's accuracy is already above 90%, although the company's figure and the Intouch Insight study are not directly comparable because they come from different systems and measurement methods. Executives also noted that customer satisfaction scores at locations testing the system are tracking higher than nationwide averages.
Operating under the broader umbrella of a platform known as ArchIQ, the new assistant acts as the conversational voice while the wider network handles heavy lifting behind the counter. Management highlights that the infrastructure assists branches with monitoring stock levels, organising staff rosters, and even deploying scales to detect absent items prior to handing food over to the customer.
Underpinning this entire framework is a partnership with Google that began back in 2023, with a broader U.S. rollout expected in 2027, according to Moneywise.
Inside McDonald's $8.5 Billion Overhaul
Beyond Archy, the multi-billion-dollar initiative forms part of McDonald's NEXT strategy and includes wider restaurant modernisation alongside the deployment of new technology. The overhaul includes plans for protein-focused menu options and restaurant upgrades, including redesigned play areas, open kitchens and McCafe preparation areas.
McDonald's says its $8.5 (£6.41) billion in total NEXT partnering support through 2036 will include about $5 billion by the end of 2030 to accelerate the deployment of ArchIQ technology bundles, as well as kitchen and operations upgrades.
